Cooling and feeding means for rocket type combustion chambers



Oct. 17, 1950 R. H. GODDARD v COOLING AND FEEDING MEANS FOR ROCKET TYPE COMBUSTION crmmssas Filed Jan. 2, 194a Goadmd INVENTOR. mm. 1/

TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 17, 1950 COOLING AND FEEDING MEANS FOR ROCKET TYPE COMBUSTION CHAM- BERS Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis,

Md., by Esther C.

ter, Mass., assignor of Goddard, executrix, Worcesone-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 2, 1948, Serial No. 83

1 Claim. (Cl. (lo-35.6)

This invention relates to combustion chambers of the type used in rockets and propulsion apparatus and having a rearwardly-directed discharge nozzle. It is the general object of this invention to provide improved and simplified means for uniformly cooling a combustion chamber wall and for feeding the combustion liquids to the combustion chamber.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing. in which Fig. 1 is a sectional longitudinal elevation of a combustion chamber embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 2-2 in Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional front elevation of certain parts, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view, taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, a combustion chamber C is shown having a rearwardly-directed discharge nozzle N. The combustion chamber C and nozzle N are surrounded by a casing III which encloses a jacket space S and which is supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure through a feed pipe l2.

Axially extending partition members It and ii.

are provided in the jacket space S to maintain the casing in in definite spaced relation to the chamber C and nozzle N. An annular series of uniformly spaced feed openings I8 is provided in the wall of the chamber C at the upper or inner end of the combustion chamber, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

A volute 20 encircles the combustion chamber C at its middle and widest part. and the wall of the chamber C is provided with a second annular series of feed openings 22 which are preferably equally spaced circumferentially and which are also tangentially disposed.

The volute 20 has a feed pipe 24, which feed pipe is preferably connected to'receive a cooling liquid from the jacket space '8 through a pipe 26 and valve 21, as shown in Fig. 2. A second cooling liquid may also be separately supplied under pressure to the pipe 24 by a pipe 20 and valve 29.

The cooling liquid supplied through the pipe i2 to the jacket space S is preferably a liquid fuel. as gasoline, and a second combustion liquid. as liquid oxygen, is supplied through an axially positioned feed pipe 20 and spray nozzle 3|. Ignition of the mixed combustion elements may be started by a spark-plug 32, or in any other convenient manner.

with this construction.

uniformly distributed 00 008,242

streams of a cooling liquid will be tangentially supplied through the feed openings 22 and will form a protective film over the highl heated inner surface of the nozzle N and of the adjacent portion of the combustion chamber C.

This cooling liquid may be a third liquid, as water, supplied under pressure through the pipe 28, with the valve 29 open and the valve 21 closed. or it may be a portion of the liquid fuel from the jacket space S, supplied through the bypass 26, with the valve 21 open and the valve 29 closed.

In either event, substantially uniform distribution of the cooling liquid is achieved and very effective cooling of the highly heated walls of the chamber and nozzle is accomplished.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof. it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what is claimed is:

In propulsion apparatus, a combustion chamber having a, rearwardly-directed discharge nozzle, a casing enclosing said combustion chamber and nozzle and providing a jacket space, meansto supply a cooling liquid under pressure to said jacket space. said chamber having feed openings from said jacket space into said chamber near the closed inner end of said chamber, a volute enclosed withinsaid jacket space and encircling said combustion chamber at a point intermediate its length, said chamber having tangential feed openings from said volute into said chamber. separate means to supply a cooling liquid under pressure to said volute, a shutoff valve in said latter supply means, a. by-pass connecting said jacket space to said supply connection at a point between said shut-off valve and said volute, and a second shut-off valve in said by-pass, whereby said volute may selectively receive its cooling liquid from its supply means or from said jacket space.

' ESTHER C. GODDARD. Ezecutria: of the Last Will and Testament f Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,016,921 Goddard Oct. 8, 1935 2,168,313 Bichowsky Aug. 8, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 147,518 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1921 Germany Jan. 21, 1935 

